PUNISHMENT FOR ADULTERY

PUNISHMENT FOR ADULTERY.

{please complete the whole article as things will fall in place only at the end}

The punishment on adultery according to Quran is flogging and not stoning. The punishment is discussed in chapter 24 of the Quran. Throughout the ages the scholars have been making a mistake in understanding the true spirit of these verses. The issue of punishment on adultery is to be seen in context of Abraham who fell in prostration seeking forgiveness for the people of Lot, in context of Prophet Joseph who took punishment on himself to save the woman from not getting punishment from God, who later forgave her and married her.
Below are the verses along with its understanding on the basis of ‘’God’s cause’’.

(24:1)- ‘a sura which we have sent down and which we have ordained, in it we have sent down clear signs, in order that you may receive admonition.’

In the above verse God is saying this chapter is compulsory and it has clear verses and not unclear verses (remember Quran has both ‘clear’ as well as ‘unclear’ verses- 3:7)

(24:2)- ‘the woman and the man guilty of fornication flog each of them with hundred stripes, let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day, and let a party of believers witness the punishment’

In the above verse the punishment has been made clear as hundred stripes and God makes it clear that no mercy should be shown if you are a believer.

(24:3)- ‘ let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry any but similarly guilty, or an unbeliever nor let any but such a man or an unbeliever marry such a woman to the believers, such a thing is forbidden.’

In the above verse, only an adulterer can marry an adulterer or an idolater, to believer it is forbidden.

(24:4)- ‘and those who launch a charge against a chaste woman, and produce not four witnesses, (to support their allegation) flog them with eighty stripes and reject their evidence ever after, for such men are wicked transgressors.’

In the above verse God puts a condition to be fulfilled before anyone can punish an adulterer i.e. produce four witnesses or else the accuser shall be flogged eighty times. His witness shall not be accepted in future. It is really tough to get four witnesses, the one who desires punishment but doesn’t have four witnesses should sit quietly or else the one who desires punishment for others will be the one who gets punishment.

(24:5)- ‘unless they repent thereafter and mend their conduct, for Allah is forgiving, most merciful.’

The above verse is generally interpreted for the ones who are accusing but it should also refer to the adulterer or the fornicator. In these verses God is saying that if somebody repents then all the above punishments gets cancelled. {Allah is so willing to overlook and forgive}

(24:6-10)- ‘and for those who launch a charge against their spouses and have no evidence but their own, their solitary evidence (is counted) if they bear witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that they are solemnly telling the truth. And the fifth oath should be that they solemnly invoke the curse of Allah on themselves if they tell a lie, but it would avert the punishment from the spouse if he/she bears witness four times with an oath by Allah that spouse is telling a lie. And the fifth oath should be that he/she solemnly invokes the wrath of Allah on her/his self if the spouse is telling the truth, if it wasn’t for Allah’s grace and mercy on you and that the Allah is often returning full of wisdom (you would be ruined indeed).’

First of all a lot of translators put the word ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ in the above verses where as the Arabic word used is neutral and refers to both husband and wife. In case of adultery of married people in which the spouse is the witness and not four people as asked in general case, God prescribes that the spouse should testify four times and fifth time curse oneself and the accused can save oneself by doing the same thing. Now this verse also tells that Islam has a judicial system, as to whom would they swear? For the wife has seen her husband cheating, she has seen! She doesn’t need any witnesses and if husband swears five times to her, he is a liar and vice-versa. Thus they both swear in front of a judge.
This verse also prohibits a man to kill his wife or beat her as it happens in all the cases, it also means that a man can’t kill or beat the man with whom his wife was found. INFACT, according to verse 3 if a man is a true believer, he will personally ask his wife to marry the man she was with!!! As of course once they do five swearing’s in front of a judge, they end with an automatic divorce. This understanding throws light that why God asked four witnesses. Four witnesses are impossible and God asks men to ‘forgive and overlook’ as it will come ahead.

(24:11)- ‘those who brought forward the lie are a body amongst yourselves, think it not to be an evil to you, on the contrary it is good for you, to every man among them will come the punishment of the sin that he earned and to him who took on himself the lead among them will be penalty grievous.’

In the above verses we have been given an example in which the wife of the prophet was accused of adultery. First of all we get to see the positive approach which God teaches the prophet and the Muslims as God says ‘think it not to be an evil but good’. As forgiving someone and being patient gets paradise in return. The point to be wondered upon is that Abdullah Ibn Ubay, the chief ringleader ‘who took upon himself the lead among them’, was not punished for whom God himself gives witness and Muslims knew of him. The real fools of today would have gotten together to be a witness against him that he slandered without four witnesses and should be flogged eighty times, for scholars of today are not men of understanding but those with the prophet were, for they were on God’s cause. Oh God where have men of understanding gone. Truly Quran doesn’t go further down their throats.

(24:12-13)- ‘Why did not the believers- men and women- when you heard of the affairs- put the best construction on it in their own minds and say this charge is an obvious lie? Why did they not bring four witnesses to prove it? When they have not bought the witnesses, such men in sight of Allah, stand forth themselves as liars.’

In the above verses, God teaches that the attitude a Muslim should have if four witnesses are not there is that ‘it is an obvious lie’. God teaches even if there are three witnesses instead of four, even if what they saw was true and they are speaking the truth, such men are liars.
Now some may think that if four witnesses are there they are truthful and if not then they are liars, how is this?!!. The fact is that one witness of God is greater than witness of everything combined, what are 4 men?? What are four men witnesses?? No, now the case is like – if in a car one tire gets flat we say puncture, second gets flat we say ‘puncture’, third tire gets flat we say ‘puncture’, when fourth tire gets flat we say this tire company is bad. So God doesn’t become positive about the witnesses, that if less than four they are liars, and if four or more they are truthful, no, if they are four, from liars they become evil satanic people and not truthful people.. We will see it in the coming verses, 24:23-25, this real spirit behind it when we will compare it with the bowing of Abraham for the people of Lut seeking forgiveness for them.

(24:14)- ‘Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, in this world and here after, a grievous torment would have ceased you in that you rushed glibly into the affair.’

In this verse god says grievous chastisement awaits to any who still rush after this, for not being as Abraham, Joseph and Jesus.

(24:15-17)- ‘ Behold, you received it on your tongues and set out of your mouths things of which you had no knowledge, and you thought it to be a small matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah. And why did you not, when you heard it, say? It is not right of us to speak of this, glory to Allah this is most serious slander. Allah does admonish you that you may never repeat such conduct if you are true believers. ‘

In these verses Allah shows how hateful it is to him to cause differences between a husband and wife and says true believers should never do it.

(24:18)- ‘and Allah makes the signs clear to you, for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.’

This is the 2nd time in the same issue that the God has said that the signs are clear {24:1}. God will again say that the signs are clear in the coming verses i.e. God will say it three times in the whole issue that ‘the signs are clear’.

(24:19)- ‘those who love to see scandal circulate among the believers, will have a grievous chastisement in this life and in the here after. Allah knows and you know not’.

God is saying any such issue is a scandal, if you have seen something; even if you are three, ignore it as if it never happened as Allah doesn’t love scandals- true or false doesn’t matter. God is teaching forgive and overlook as will come ahead.

(24:20)- ‘ Were it not for grace and mercy of Allah on you, and that Allah is full of kindness and mercy you would be ruined indeed.’

I remind you Oh mankind, Oh Khalifas of Allah! Truly our lord is gracious, merciful, and full of kindness and mercy. Whose witness is greater than that of God’s? His single witness is greater than witness of all men, jinns, angels and everything combined, what are four men? Our master sees yet gives chance, like to the prostitute who gave a dog a drink, Our Lord who didn’t catch the throat of Abraham when he called the sun, the moon and the stars his god. O Khalifas of Allah you are surely not like your master and as the parable goes- you’re a beast who hears a shepherd’s call and hears in it nothing but a sound of a voice and a call (2:171).

{24:21} – ‘O you who believe, follow not footsteps of Satan, if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will command what is indecent and wrong and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah, on you, not one of you would ever have been pure. But Allah does purify whom he pleases, and Allah is one who hears and knows all things.’’

Allah hears and knows everything and talks about the concept of FOOTSTEPS of SATAN. Now visualize footprints of Satan and how God cancels these footprints by giving the antidote from verse (24: 22- 34).

(24:22)- “Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means (by Me) resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen, those in want and those who have left their homes in Allah’s cause, let them forgive and overlook, do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? For Allah is oft forgiving, most merciful.”

Here Allah cancels one footstep of Satan “forgive and overlook”, like Allah does and will do with many But wont do to those who themselves don’t forgive and overlook. You shall be measured by the very stick you, measured, don’t judge and you wont be judged. This teaching is an echo of the teaching ‘repel evil with best’. Though used for Hazrat Abu- Bakr who swore not to help those who tried to malign his daughter’s image- the wife of the prophet, the mother of believers, Hazrat Aisha but it is clear that the teaching has universal application and that it is a universal principle. The point to be noted is even such a serious crime is to be forgiven and the criminal is to be helped even by the one who I directly, closely affected, who would had been more affected by the incident but the father of the bride – hzrt Abu Bakr?? Even to him Allah commands help them!! Help even those who maligned your daughter!! For goodness is not that you do good to those who do good to you, but goodness is that you do good to him who does bad to you “repel evil with best, then he who hates you will become your friend and intimate” Allah wants whole world to be friends and no one an enemy of another.

(24:23-25)- “ Those who slander chaste, indiscreet and believing women are cursed in this life and the hereafter, for them is the grievous chastisement. On the day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions, on that day Allah will pay them each their just dues, and they will realize that Allah is the very truth that make all things manifest.”

It doesn’t mean that unchaste, discreet and unbelieving women can be slandered. Produce four witnesses oh evil ones, and I call those witnesses evil for when four witnesses come, on the basis of those four, Satan goes and stands to God and says, “See, these humans are like me, desiring punishment for others, fulfill your promise and destroy the adulterer, but leave my angels, ie the four witnesses” Yes the four witnesses are the angels of satan.
On one hand Allah doesn’t want to destroy them, as he wants everybody in paradise and on other God is bound by his promise to Satan “that he will put in hell those who become like him”. What does Allah do now?? Allah is indeed wise, great.
If we observe, Unlike in Pharaoh’s destruction case the case of Meccans destruction defer by the fact that Pharaoh was destroyed by the God, but Meccans were destroyed by God using the ummah as his tool. Thus God says to Ummah in verse 2- “ Don’t let pity for them move you” Now you are not Abraham or Joseph or Jesus nor like the angels but now you are my tools, I am not going to destroy them like I destroyed pharaoh, you are going to destroy them in this new shariah!!
To explain to you its spirit I come to case of Angels “ who almost cause the heavens to rent asunder from above praying for forgiveness for all beings on earth (42: 5)”. Behold, now Satan stands reminding Me, My promise to him. Go angels destroy people of Lut for whom I, my Prophets and you, oh angels want paradise for I, your God never breaks his promise – “ Don’t let pity for them move you if you are believers” O God O God, O God, shall we cry or beat our chests.
I repeat in other words- God said in verse 2 ‘don’t let pity for them move you’, for now you are not Abraham, Joseph or Jesus but like angels who brought destruction on people of Lut, while angels didn’t want it “as they almost split asunder heavens from above seeking forgiveness” like Abraham himself. So run away, run away don’t be a witness.
Now if somebody says ‘this is not the spirit of Quran’ then let him hold on to that for the next verses and then see if he can still say that.

(24:26)- “Woman impure are for men impure and men impure for woman impure and woman of purity are for men of purity and men of purity are for women of purity, those are innocent of what all people say, for them there is forgiveness and provision honorable”.

The teaching of verse 3 is again repeated here.

(24:27)- “oh you who believe, enter not houses other than your own until you have asked permission and saluted those in them, that is best for you in order that you may heed.”

What is this verse teaching? Run away, run away, don’t be a witness. Don’t desire punishment for anyone. Fine, this way if some wrong act is going in a house we will never be a witness, as we will never be allowed to enter. But what if the wrong act is happening in our own house, then can we become a witness, as we don’t seek any permission to enter and thus we will result in getting punishment for someone? Even to that God has given a solution that the spouse may be saved from punishment. Remember 24:8.

(24:28)- “If you find no one in the house, enter not until permission is given to you. If you are asked to go back, go back. That makes for greater purity for yourselves and Allah knows well all that you do.”

What is this verse teaching? Run away, run away, don’t be a witness, don’t desire punishment for anyone. God says ‘go back’ as the one who is doing the wrong act will never allow you to enter but will ask you to go back. Run away, run away, don’t be a witness. “Allah knows well all that you do” “enough is Allah as a witness”. Fools don’t you understand, that God was witness to the acts of that prostitute?? but the merciful God desired paradise even for her and sought an excuse and waited till she gave a dying dog a drink and oft forgiving, forgave all her sins. Oh muslims don’t let Satan stand with four witnesses, run away, run away, don’t be a witness, but be like Abraham who desired paradise and sought forgiveness even for people of Lot, whom God himself was destroying.
Where have the men of understanding gone? Where has the Yusufs gone who forgive their Zuliekhas, who instead take punishment on themselves to save them from punishment of God.
So we see, in verse 27 and 28 God cancelled two more footsteps of Satan. And surely the footsteps of Satan lead to nothing but punishment. What does Satan want but that the humans should be punished? And what does Allah want but that humans should be forgiven and saved?? There is not one true scholar today, the prophecy of false scholars gets fulfilled today.

(24:29)- “It is no fault on your part to enter houses, not used for living, which serve some other use for you, and Allah has knowledge of what you reveal and what you conceal”.

This verse kills Satan by not making men extremist fools that they even ask permission to enter a tea shop or a restaurant. For otherwise Satan would have made muslims extremist fools who would actually be doing that, following blindly the verse 27 and 28.

(24:30-31)- “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that will make for greater purity for them. And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that they should not display their beauty and their ornaments except what appears there of, that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brothers or their brothers sons or their sisters sons or their women or the slaves whom their right hand possess or male attendants free of sexual desires or small children who have no carnal knowledge of women and they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments, and oh you believers turn you all together to Allah in repentance that you may be successful.”

Lowering of gaze is prescribed in teashops, restaurants etc. These verses also tell that women can go to markets etc, otherwise how can they attract attention by striking their feet. We see God cancels another footstep of satan, for by following this people won’t fall into adultery, won’t fall into adultery thus there won’t be witnesses who seek punishment and there won’t be punishment. In the end Allah asks both men and women to turn to Allah in repentance for “Allah knows what you reveal and what you conceal”{24:29}. And is there a human who doesn’t need to repent? Or who has never sinned by even not thinking about adulterous acts? Here I would quote Jesus who saved Marry Magdalene, a prostitute caught red handed from stoning, saying, “ He who hasn’t even thought about adultery in his heart may cast the first stone”. And there was not a man from whose hand the stone didn’t drop to the ground remembering his sin. Peace be on prophet Jesus, who would have fallen in prostration like prophet Abraham seeking forgiveness were it God who was going to stone Mary Magdalene.

{24:32-33}- “Marry those among you who are single and the virtuous ones among your slaves, male or female, if they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of their grace for Allah is ample giving and he knows all things. Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage, keep themselves chaste until Allah gives them means out of his grace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (for emancipation) give them such a deed. If you know any good in them, yes give them something yourself out of the means which Allah has given to you. But force not your slave to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that you may make a gain in the good of this life, but if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion is Allah oft forgiving, most merciful.”

These verse also talk of not giving rise to chances of giving witnesses and cuts another footstep of satan, as God asks to marry. But in the end to yet clarify the matter God says “but force not your maids into prostitution when they desire chastity”. This verse of course doesn’t mean that you can otherwise force them. “But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion Allah is oft forgiving and most merciful”. The question arises to whom is Allah is forgiving?? To whom? Forgiveness can only go the sinner and in the case of compulsion how can the one forced be a sinner?? Fools, it refers to none, but the one forcing, otherwise what is ‘’yet, after such compulsion” doing in Quran?
For someone who is still not willing to see the truth I tell him Surah- Nur, is surah no.24, half of 24 is 12, these verses are 32-33, why not go to sura {12:32-33} and read what is going on.
The same thing is happening in Surah 12:32-33, of which surah 24:32-33 is talking about. Who can dare say that prophet Joseph would be a sinner had Zuliekha been successful in forcing him, who was her slave, look at Allah and his prophets example, the oft forgiving and most merciful does refer to the one who is forcing the slave into prostitution as God forgave Zuliekha.

(24:34)- “we have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from a story of people who passed away before you, and admonition to those who fear Allah”.

This gives a death blow that Allah forgives even bigger sins, we read the Quran but it doesn’t go further down from our throats into our hearts, Fools, to what all things was Pharaoh forcing people and yet look what God’s stand is in 20:44- “Oh Moses go to pharaoh, he has crossed all bounds I know of, go to him, and talk to him gently, per chance he might yet take heed”.
Indeed this Quran “is an admonition to those who fear Allah”, but who feared Allah?- Abel {5:27}, Abel was – Muttaqee {5:27}, Quran is a guide to muttaqee {2:2}, otherwise it lets “non-mutaqee muslims” go astray {2:26}. Have the eye of Abel so that you may prosper, be a “mittaqee muslim”, he lived and died not raising his hand even in self defense!! He did so in order to increase the score of paradise by his life, while giving his murderer a chance to repent in future. O “non-muttaqee muslims” go ask Abel who didn’t even raise his hand to hurt his murderer, to stone and flog a person who has not even harmed him, and see what he says to you. O God, O God, O God, please guide muslims.
It is the third time in the whole issue that God says “verses that are clear” from {24:1-34}, for indeed throughout God doesn’t show a second way of satan, as He generally shows {90:10}. Throughout God only shows one way.
Truly the prophet will say {25:30} – “O my lord truly my people took the Quran as foolish nonsense”

Note 1- As for those who confessed regarding Hazrat Aisha’s matter, Prophet had to be like angels who destroyed the people of Lut, remember angels ask for forgiveness for men (42:5) like prophets want forgiveness for men, but then case changes when God chooses them as his tools when Satan comes asking God to fulfill His promise. If you are not the tool you will yet be like Abraham seeking forgiveness for the people of Lut. For example, if Prophet Muhammad {pbuh} is asked to be a punisher in hell, that is, to be a tool of punishment, he cannot ask for forgiveness for those in hell. How would it be if God from group of angels who are asking for forgiveness for those on earth calls two of them and says ‘Satan has come, I have to fulfill my promise made to him that I will put in hell those who become like him. Go, you two angels and become my tool and destroy people of Lut”. Those two angels refuse to be his tool, satan would say “leave alone Man, these angels are also of no good.”

Note2- See other articles like “Stoning on Adultery”, “God’s cause” etc. to understand more in depth, that why punishment is so discouraged by Allah. Satan desires punishment, Allah desires forgiveness.

Allahu Akbar.
4 witnesses are available only if the woman is a prostitue. She is then to be isolated for life [so as not to influence other females], or till Allah ordains otherwise- till she is saved by some man who marries her.

I have enjoy very much your content and the way that you present it to your public.
I’m a mainstream publisher who has just started xome sites and my first 3 sites go active on August 2011, and I think to ad some content of your site…!